Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Well-being 2 to 5 years Poststroke

Bergersen, Hilde; Frøslie, Kathrine Frey; Stibrant Sunnerhagen, Katharina; Schanke, Anne-Kristine

doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2009.06.005

« Previous Next »Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases
Volume 19, Issue 5 , Pages 364-369, September 2010

Anxiety, Depression, and Psychological Well-being 2 to 5 years Poststroke

Hilde Bergersen
- Department of Brain Injury, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway
- Address correspondence to Hilde Bergersen, Department of Brain Injury, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, 1450 Nesoddtangen, Norway.
Kathrine Frey Frøslie, MSc
- Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Norway
Katharina Stibrant Sunnerhagen, MD, PhD
- Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Anne-Kristine Schanke, PhD
- Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway

Received 21 January 2009; received in revised form 27 May 2009; accepted 1 June 2009. published online 26 May 2010.

Objectives

We sought to explore psychological well-being and the psychosocial situation in persons with stroke, 2 to 5 years after discharge from a specialized rehabilitation hospital.

Methods

The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; the 30-item General Health Questionnaire; and a questionnaire were mailed to 255 former patients.

Results

A total of 64% answered (36% women), and the average age was 58 years. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale identified problems in 47% (anxiety in 36% and depression in 28%) and 30-item General Health Questionnaire in 54%. About half had experienced periods of anxiety, depression, or both since discharge. Most were satisfied with support by family/friends (88%), home ward (68%), and community therapy services (57%). Marital status was as in the general population.

Conclusions

Long after stroke, almost half of the investigated patients with stroke had psychiatric problems according to the questionnaires. This is higher than in the general population but is comparable with some other chronic, somatic populations in Norway.

Key Words: Stroke, mental health, psychological well-being, quality of life, psychiatry, anxiety, depression, long term, questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale